“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
In a recent trip to New York City, I met a guy in a restaurant on the Upper East Side who works as a day trader. It immediately occurred to me how little I know about this profession and how one would even qualify or train for such a job. I’ve been honored to work with executives from dozens of professions and industries, but day trading doesn’t make that list [yet].
He told me that he likes this work because of the flexibility it affords him, because his young family lives close by and he wants to be with them on a regular basis. My guess is that he does very well financially as a day trader, because each of his children attended private schools in Manhattan and his older child is a junior at Georgetown University. He told me that day trading is a lifestyle profession for him. Nice lifestyle!
My lifelong passion is following the career paths of people, both ordinary and famous, especially individuals who love what they do and are successful in their practice. I define success as being happy in the work chosen while being able to create a living that is sustainable. Simple!
I know that many people struggle to find their passion as they navigate their way through their careers. I tend to hear from clients when something disrupts their career “flow.” A wise boss once told me that there is always a learning opportunity when something happens in your life that surprises or shocks you. How many of us have navigated away from the mainstream because of a major disruption in our career?
I know this because it happened to me. And it was the best event that ever happened in my professional life, although it certainly did not seem like it at the time.
I would imagine that Hilary Clinton would be feeling much that same way in the aftermath of the recent United States election. How many of us were sure we had that job, client, contract, or other goal when it fell through at the last moment? Resiliency in the face of failure is one of the greatest leadership qualities ever documented.
Steven Snyder of the Harvard Business Review discusses the struggle and potential reward of resilience.
“Yet despite the overwhelming consensus and supporting evidence that resilience is vital for success in today’s business environment, the truth remains: resilience is hard. It requires the courage to confront painful realities, the faith that there will be a solution when one isn’t immediately evident, and the tenacity to carry on despite a nagging gut feeling that the situation is hopeless.”
If you are like many of my clients and me, personal and career disruption has created opportunities never before imagined. If you are looking for inspiration from famous people, see this article about famous people who failed repeatedly before becoming successful. These people include Henry Ford, Bill Gates, not to mention, Walt Disney, Jim Carrey, and dozens of others.
If you are currently navigating a lengthy job search that feels like it has been going on for a lifetime, you’re in good company. Stick to your plan and execute on it faithfully.
If you don’t have a plan A or plan B and don’t know where to start, contact me for a confidential conversation to get you moving. As a trusted executive career strategist, I offer proven strategies that work.
Are you ready?
“Success comes before work only in the dictionary.” — Anonymous
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